ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI SEPITEMA 6, 2025

A JOYFUL HEART

KO E LOTO FONU FIEFIA

1 SAMUEL 2:1

"Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart exults in the LORD: my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation."

1 SAMIUELA 2:1

PEA hū ‘a ‘Ana, ‘o ne pehē, ‘Oku hākahaka hoku loto ‘ia Sihova, ‘Oku mā‘olunga hoku nifo ‘ia Sihova: ‘Oku mafa‘a hoku ngutu ki hoku ngaahi fili; Ko ‘eku neka ‘i ho‘o fakamo‘ui.

‘E ‘ikai pe fe’unga ‘etau fakafeta’ia ‘a e ‘Otua, pea ‘e ta’e fietukua ai pe ‘a ‘etau fiefia ‘i he lahi fau ‘a ‘Ene ‘ofa ki hono kakai. ‘Oku taau ke tau vave ma’u pe ki he fakafeta’i ‘i he taimi ‘oku tau mamata ai ki he’ene ngaue ‘o ne fai ‘i he’etau mo’ui; ‘ikai ko ia pe, ka ‘oku totonu ke toe vave mo ‘etau siofi ‘a e tapuaki ‘o ‘ene failelei ki hono kakai fakalukufua. ‘Oku tau mamata ‘i he founga ko eni ‘i he Folofola. ‘Ia 1 Samiuela, ‘i he taimi na’e kole tokoni ai ‘a ‘Ana ki he ‘Otua, na’a ne ngaue’aki ‘a e ngaahi lea ‘oku lave ki he kakai ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘o ‘ikai ki he’ene mo’ui fakafo’ituitui pe: "SIHOVA SAPAOTI e..." (1 Samiuela 1:11). Ko ‘ene tautapaa, ke fofonga mai ‘a e ‘Otua kiate ia ‘o hange ko ‘Ene fofonga ki Hono kakai ‘i he kuohili. 

‘I he taimi na’e foaki ai ‘e he ‘Otua kiate ia ‘a e tama na’a ne kole, ko e lea ‘o ‘ene fakamaloo na’e ongo tatau mo e lea ‘a ‘Isileli ‘i he taimi na’e fakahaofi ai kinautolu ‘e he ‘Otua. ‘I he hili pe ko ia ‘a e fakahaofi ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua mei he nofo popula ‘i ‘Isipite, ‘i he ivi ‘o e ‘Otua, na’e hiva ‘a Mosese pea taki ‘e Meliame ‘a e kakai ‘i he fakafiefia mo e me’e (‘Ekisoto 15). Na’e ‘i ai foki mo e hiva ‘a ‘Ana - ‘isa, ko ha lotu ‘o e fakafeta’i mo e fakamalo. Pea ko e lotu ko eni, na’a ne motuhi e ha’i na’e tofanga ai ‘ene mo’ui. Na’a ne hakailangitau he na’e ‘i ai ‘a e fekau’aki ‘a e tokangaekina fakafo’ituitui ia ‘e he ‘Otua mo ‘Ene tokanga’i ‘a Hono kakai. 

‘I he’ene fai pehee, na’e mapunopuna hono loto ‘i he fiefia. Ko e fo‘i lea “loto” (heart) ‘i he taimi ‘oku ngaue’aki ai ‘i he Tohitapu, ‘oku fakataumu’a ki he uho ‘o ‘etau mo’ui, kau ai ‘a e ‘atamai, fai tu’utu’uni mo e me’a ‘oku tau hohoi ki ai.  Ko ia ai ‘i he pehee ‘e ‘Ana, "‘Oku hākahaka hoku loto ‘ia Sihova," ko ‘ene fakahaa’i ia mei he uho ‘o ‘ene mo’ui, ‘a ‘ene hakahaka mo e fiefia ‘i he lahi faufaua ‘o e ‘Otua. ‘Oku lea’aki ‘e hono ngutu ‘a e fonu mahuohua ‘a hono loto.

Ko e fiefia na’e a’usia ‘e ‘Ana, na’e ‘ikai toe kehekehe ia mei he sipinga na’e ta ‘e Meliame ‘i hono taimi. Ta’u ‘e tahaafe mei he lotu ‘a ‘Ana, na’e ‘i ai ha define na’e hiva ki he ‘Otua ‘i he laumalie tatau. Pau pe na’e ‘ilo’i ‘e Mele ‘a e lotu ‘a ‘Ana pea mahalo na’a ne ngaue’aki ha ngaahi lea tatau, ‘o hoko atu ‘a ‘ene fakafeta’i fiefia ‘i he ngaue fakaofo ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i he hiva ‘oku ‘iloa ko e Fakahikihiki (Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55).

Fe fe kitautolu? ‘Oku tau tali ‘a e ngaue fakaofo ‘a e ‘Otua ‘aki ha fu’u fakahikihiki ‘i he’etau mo’ui fakafo’ituitui mo e tu’u fakatokolahi? Pe, na’a ‘oku tau sio tautolu ki he fiefia ‘a ‘Ana pea tau pehee ‘oku totu’a? Ko e ha ha’o lau kapau ‘e tu’u hake ha “Meliame” ‘o ta ‘ene nafa fangongo? Mahalo kuo tau a’u ki ha taimi ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau fakatokanga’i ‘oku tau fakaanga’i pe ‘etau lotu mo ‘etau fakafeta’i. ‘Oku tau hiva ‘i falelotu fekau’aki mo e ivi ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘a hono mafi, lelei mo ‘ene manava’ofa, ka ‘oku fakamohemohe pe ‘etau to’onga fai - pea malo ka fai ha malimali. Kuopau ke tau tokanga mo manatu’i, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha tui filosefa pe eni, pe ko ha me’a na’a tau fakakaukau’i pe. ‘Ikai, ‘oku tau hiva mo tau lotu ki he ‘Otua mo’ui, ‘oku ne ngaue ma’a hono kakai! 

Ko ia ai, hange ko Meliame, ‘Ana, mo Mele, pukenimaa ‘a e taumu’a mo ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i ho’o mo’ui, Vave ke ke lotu, vave ke ke fakafeta’i pea fai mei he loto mo’oni. Tuku ha taimi he ‘aho ni ke ke fakahikihiki’i ai ‘a e ‘Otua! 

Lau e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e taha: Saame 148-150; Sione 1:29-51

It is impossible to praise God too much or for our hearts to be too filled with joy at His love for His people. We should be quick to praise God when we can see His work in our own lives; but we should also be quick to locate that blessing in the context of His goodness to His people collectively. We see this repeatedly in Scripture. In 1 Samuel, for instance, when Hannah sought the Lord for help, she used phraseology which was related to the people of God, not just to her own personal circumstances: "O LORD of hosts..." (1 Samuel 1:11). Her appeal had been that God would look upon her in the way that He had looked upon His people in the past.

When God gave her the child she had longed for, her thanks echoed the language of Israel on occasions of great deliverance. Soon after God's people were delivered from slavery in Egypt by the power of God, Moses had sung his song, and Miriam had led the way in dancing with her tambourine ensemble (Exodus 15). Hannah, too, had a song to sing - or rather, a prayer of thanksgiving to pray. And her prayer broke the bounds of her particular circumstances. She rejoiced that there was a connection between what God had done for her individually and what He was doing for His people corporately.

As she did so, her heart exulted. When the word "heart" is used in the Bible, it speaks to the very center of our existence, including our minds, wills, and affections. So when Hannah said, "My heart exults in the LORD," she was expressing how the very centrality of her being was caught up in His greatness. Her mouth spoke out of her heart's fullness.

Just as Hannah likely reveled in the example of Miriam, a thousand years on from Hannah's prayer, another woman sang to God in similar vein. Mary doubtless knew Hannah's prayer and may even have borrowed some of it, continuing the established pattern of rejoicing in God's mighty acts in the song we know as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

What about us? Do we respond with similar jubilation when God works in our lives personally and in His people corporately? Or are we in any danger of seeing Hannah's praise as a bit over the top? How would we respond if a "Miriam" stood and started playing her tambourine? We can sometimes be too measured, or even merely go through the motions, in our praise. We sing in church about the Lord's strength, power, goodness, and kindness, and yet we hardly open our mouths to sing or to smile. We must take care to remember that we're not dealing with a philosophical construct, a concept, or some thing that we find within ourselves. No, we're singing about and praying to the living God, who acts on behalf of His people!

So, like Miriam, Hannah, and Mary, embrace the purposes and works of God in your life. Be quick to pray, quick to praise, and heartfelt in both. Take time today to let your heart exult in the Lord!